Breast Cancer Coping Strategies after Diagnosis: A Six-month Follow-up

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is a tragic experience that accompanies stressful situations for patients. Adjustment with breast cancer has a significant effect on decreasing stress and increasing the patients› quality of life. Methods: In a prospective cross-sectional study, breast cancer patients› experiences were evaluated at Breast Cancer Research Center (BCRC), Motamed Cancer Institut (MCI), Tehran, Iran. To evaluate coping strategies in breast cancer patients, a modified Ways of Coping-cancer Version (WOC-CA) questionnaire was used. A written informed consent was obtained from the patients. Results: From a total of 187 breast cancer patients participated in this study, 177 cases followed up for 6 months later. The mean age of the patients was 47.3 ± 9.6 years. Eighty-seven percent of the patients were married, 91% of the subjects had middle and high education and most of them (83%) were housewife. Seven coping strategies were used by the patients after diagnosis and 6 months later. The most commonly used coping strategies after diagnosis included «seeking for social support», «spirituality», and «positive cognitive restructuring» and the least used coping strategy was «detachment». The most frequently used strategies 6 months after the diagnosis were «seeking for social support», «spirituality», «positive cognitive restructuring», and «making changes» and the least commonly used ones included «wishful thinking», and «keeping feelings to self-coping strategies». Conclusions: It seems that clinicians should provide enough information about the treatment and survival before the surgery. The patients› concerns about the way of adjustment with the disease, especially religious thinking and advices about the way of coping with breast cancer should be considered.

Association between demographic features and perceived social support in the mental adjustment to breast cancer

“…3,6 Sajadian and colleagues noted no significant association between coping and demographic characteristics in breast cancer patients. 29 The clinical features, duration of illness, and adjuvant therapy were associated with anxious preoccupation in the adjustment to cancer in our studies, as was also reported in earlier studies. 30 We also found that perceived social support was associated with the adjustment to cancer-specifically, FS and fatalism.…”

“…A Malaysian study reported a strong relationship between increased age, low income and low educational status, and fatalistic features . Sajadian and colleagues noted no significant association between coping and demographic characteristics in breast cancer patients . The clinical features, duration of illness, and adjuvant therapy were associated with anxious preoccupation in the adjustment to cancer in our studies, as was also reported in earlier studies …”

An investigation of the relationship between social support and coping with stress in women with breast cancer

“…Studies have revealed that for women with breast cancer, factors such as age, stage of disease, educational level, method of treatment, and social support impact on coping with stress. The use of strategies for coping with stress is related to perceptions of increased social support after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer . It is reported that the social support provided to women with breast cancer has a major effect in coping with stress .…”

“…for coping with stress is related to perceptions of increased social support after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer. 4,12,13 It is reported that the social support provided to women with breast cancer has a major effect in coping with stress. 14 Social support enables women to gain a positive point of view on their medical condition and cope with their disease better, and it also increases the effectiveness of treatment.…”

Is There Relatıonship Between Stress Symptoms, Stress Level and Stress Copıng Strategies in Patients Taking Cytotoxic Chemotherapy?

“…Sajadian ve ark. (35) meme kanserli hastalarla yürüttüğü çalışmada, daha çok stres yaşayan hastaların başa çıkma stratejilerini de daha sık kullandığını saptamıştır. Literatürde kanser hastalarında algılanan stres, stres belirtileri ve stresle başa çıkma arasındaki korelasyonu birebir değerlendiren çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır.…”